A Port Charles Tale

Does it feel like something big is about to happen as Sonny spirals and Valentin and Brennan ramp up their plot to take down both Sonny and Jason in one fell swoop? Times are a changing, but how far will the writers go? It's Two Scoops of justice and new beginnings.

For over three decades, Sonny Corinthos and his trusty enforcer Jason Morgan have ruled the streets of Port Charles with an iron fist and a mostly resigned acceptance from the local authorities. It was a "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" understanding aided in large part by Sonny's generous philanthropic contributions and carefully cultivated friendships with those in a position of power in the infamous city. It didn't hurt that he also has familial connections all over Port Charles, having fathered a passel of kiddies with several women with their own ties to the community. But times are changing, and Sonny's reign as the mobster with a heart of gold may soon be coming to an end.

Valentin and Brennan have hatched a scheme to kill Jason and frame Sonny -- a brilliant plan, given that Sonny is pretty much off his bipolar meds and screaming from the rooftops that Jason the Judas is dead to him. Few would question Sonny's guilt if Jason were to turn up dead, but would he be convicted? Doubtful, since Valentin also gave Sonny a temporary insanity defense by messing with those medications. I really enjoyed the scene between Valentin and Brennan. They are both charming, easy on the eyes, and deliciously evil. Even though I'm rooting for their downfall, I am enjoying the ride.

Valentin will soon have a much bigger problem than Sonny and Jason to contend with because Anna is onto him. She knows that he's far more involved with Pikeman than he's led people to believe, and she's tipped off Jason, who decided not to share that little nugget of information with John. I don't blame him. John talks to Jason like dirt, which I don't really understand. You get more flies with honey than vinegar. I know that John is capable of being civil and even charming, and I'm pretty certain that he's one of the good guys, so why be ugly with Jason when there's no reason to be?

Despite John's threats, I suspect that when push comes to shove, he won't be so quick to pull the trigger on those RICO charges against Carly. The man is smitten with her, so perhaps some of that bad attitude toward Jason is rooted in jealousy.

Anna is a different story when it comes to Valentin. She already knows there's a good possibility that she's going to have to arrest her former lover. Her investigation is heating up now that Jason is on the job, and it's really just a matter of time before Valentin's dirty deeds catch up with him. I know he said that Charlotte wanted to return to the boarding school, but I wouldn't put it past him to have planted that seed in her scrambled noggin because he's making contingency plans in the event that Anna uncovers the truth. The thing is, while I don't think Valentin would ever be able to kill Anna, I'm not as certain about Anna if she finds herself with her back against the wall.

Anna will make every effort to bring Valentin in alive, but she was a superspy protecting the world from men like him far longer than she was someone who struggled with some of her darker impulses. In the name of justice, she will do what she needs to, even if it's difficult and breaks her heart to do it.

Last week, Tamilu pointed out in her Two Scoops that Chase and Brook Lynn's upcoming nuptials have all the earmarks for things to end in disaster. I agree. I have a feeling we will end up with something like Connie Falconeri's red wedding to Sonny when she was shot as she stood at the altar, prepared to exchange vows with him. I'm not suggesting that Brook Lynn or even Chase will be shot, but I do think a shocking tragedy will occur that could change several lives.

I don't for a second think anything will actually happen to Jason -- or even that he will die -- because Steve Burton is on contract for a couple of years. However, something wicked this way comes, especially with Sonny spiraling and his enemies plotting. Lois' insistence that Sonny attend the wedding -- even though he warned her that the wolves were at the gate -- felt a lot like foreshadowing. Will someone like Gregory end up on the wrong end of a sniper's bullet?

Gregory's conversations with Tracy and Finn and his recent medical scare feel a bit like a portent of more than the inevitable decline of his health as his ALS progresses. Everyone loves Gregory, so his death would have a tremendous ripple effect, not just because Finn and Chase would be impacted, but it would also impact Tracy, Alexis, and all the others whose lives he has touched. I know that Gregory is terminal and that his future is pretty bleak, but I would hate to see him meet his end like that. How could Sonny ever again claim that he can keep people safe when innocent bystanders keep getting struck by bullets intended for Sonny?

For years, the argument has been that Sonny and Jason can't leave the business or retire because that's not possible for mobsters. It's why Jason and Carly decided to consolidate their power and get married when Sonny was in Nixon Falls. However, to me, that has always been a weak excuse. This is a soap opera where we have people return from the dead on such a frequent basis that the good people of Port Charles didn't even bat an eye when Jason turned up alive and well this last time. Anything is possible, including retirement for Sonny and Jason. Jason is already halfway there, working as an informant for the FBI and a partner in Anna's quest to take down Pikeman.

The thing is, we live in a different time, and attitudes have shifted about what Sonny does and how he's presented as someone more good than bad. Kristina notwithstanding, everyone recognizes that they can't just keep turning a blind eye to the horrible, criminal things that Sonny does. Maurice Benard is an icon on the show, and there's no disputing that he's been good for GH. I don't need for Sonny to be shipped off to jail to pay for his crimes. I think with a little imagination and some character growth, our creative soap scribes can set Sonny on a path where he focuses on his coffee business and tries to atone -- as much as one can after decades of lawlessness -- for his many sins. If there's a will, there's a way.

There will always be supervillains for the police to contend with. It could be interesting to have both Sonny and Jason become valuable assets to Anna and her team of detectives battling those evildoers by acting as consultants and -- if necessary -- deploying their small army of bodyguards to assist in taking them down. But first, Sonny is going to need a hero to save him from himself. It's probably not going to be Ava.

Ava's little chat with Nikolas at Pentonville was quite the enlightening conversation because we finally learned what is motivating the sly little vixen besides a healthy dose of lust for the Dimpled Don. Ava is over-the-moon to be a part of Sonny's inner circle because as long as she's in his good graces, she doesn't have to watch her every step or worry about the threat of a custody fight, which she is certain to lose because of her own sordid history. She also relishes seeing Carly be the recipient of Sonny's wrath for a change because Carly has spent years looking down her nose at Ava.

I love Ava, I do, but I have to call her out on this. Yes, Carly has repeatedly rejected Ava's overtures of friendship, but she has good reason for wanting to keep her distance from Ava. Not only did Ava have a sordid romance with Carly's barely legal teenage son and a tawdry one-night stand with Sonny in the Quartermaine crypt, but Carly blames Ava for Morgan's death because Ava tampered with his bipolar medications. Would Ava ever consider being friends with Ryan? Hell no, she wouldn't.

I do get Ava's relief at being Sonny's trusted confidante because she shares a child with him. Life is much easier for her living under his roof and seeing Avery happy to have her parents together and getting along. Also, Sonny and Ava are two peas in a pod when it comes to organized crime. It's what they grew up knowing, and they have both managed to stay alive this long.

Ironically, Ava murdered Connie because she was trying to protect her brother Julian. It was a mob move, and Ava showed the kind of loyalty that Sonny expects from those closest to him. Ava was right; she understands Sonny in a way that Nina never could. It's for that reason that I'm really hoping Ava heeds Nikolas' advice and goes to Sonny with the truth about the medication, because if anyone else figures out what's going on, Ava's goose will be cooked. Judging by Carly's reaction to Sonny's paranoid ramblings on Friday, time is quickly running out for Ava.

It's no secret that I haven't been a fan of Drew or Nina in quite some time, but I have to admit that they each seem less annoying as -- office lovers? I don't know what to call their sexcapades, but at least Nina isn't actively scheming against Carly and self-sabotaging, while Drew has stopped acting like a jackass to everyone and become more tolerable. I'm not a big fan of hate sex, but this enemies-to-lovers pairing might be what both need to turn things around. Someone needs to help Nina see things as they are rather than as she perceives them through the prism of her victimhood. If it's Drew, all the better, because angry was not a good look for him.

I always expected Willow to forgive Nina because that's just Willow's nature. I'm not surprised that she's open to giving Nina another chance. More than anything, I want Nina to stop blaming Carly for all the wrongs in her life. Carly kept secrets, but Nina was no angel, either. All of this started with Nelle, and it's time for Nina to accept that Nelle was broken in a way that just couldn't be fixed. Sometimes, people are born that way -- especially when their grandmother gives their mother an overdose of medication that is powerful enough to put mom in a coma for 20 years.

Now, let's talk about the runaway train that Kristina is about to drive off a cliff with T.J. and Molly aboard. We all saw this coming from the minute that Kristina offered to be Molly's surrogate. Heck, we had several episodes where those around Kristina tried to dissuade her with warnings that she had no idea what she was getting herself into. As is typical of Miss I-Know-Best, Kristina assured everyone that she knew what she was doing. Lies.

I absolutely loathe the person that Kristina has become. She's a pot-stirrer who is quick to play the victim as soon as someone pushes back, and she twists the truth with impunity. She lied about how the exchange with Josslyn during Brook Lynn's bridal shower went down -- accusing Josslyn of initiating things when it was Kristina who approached Josslyn at the bar and asked what Josslyn's problem was. She also falsely claimed that Molly and T.J. ganged up against her at breakfast, which is not what happened at all.

Was T.J. out of line for telling Kristina to stay away from Sonny? Absolutely, but Molly was completely supportive of Kristina, even going so far as to speak up on Kristina's behalf when it became clear that Kristina was upset. At no point did Molly question or criticize Kristina about how she was taking care of herself and the baby, and it really annoys me that Kristina claimed otherwise. I get that Kristina needs to paint T.J. and Molly as bullies who are having a baby for all the wrong reasons because it's the excuse she will use to justify not giving that baby up when it's born. Kristina is an awful human being if that is indeed where this goes because Kristina is the one who practically browbeat Molly and T.J. into trusting her with the surrogacy.

I'm also starting to suspect that T.J.'s concern about Kristina and Sonny is a smokescreen because what he truly fears -- and is afraid to articulate -- is that Kristina will end up fighting him for custody of the baby. I hate this storyline, and the more I see Kristina caressing her belly and referring to the baby as hers, the more I despise her. The idea that she would suggest that Molly and T.J. just wanted a baby to check off a list was abhorrent to me. Did she forget what led Molly and T.J. to look for a surrogate? How heartbroken Molly was to learn that she's unable to carry or even have her own biological children? How devastated both T.J. and Molly were when the first surrogate miscarried?

Unfortunately, I have a feeling that Alexis is going to get her law license reinstated just in time to represent one of her daughters in a custody battle.

Did Dex not think to mention that photo of Valentin and Hume together on the day of the shooting at Metro Court's pool? That is a critical piece of information that might have led Sonny to Valentin's doorstep months ago -- before Valentin had a chance to tamper with Sonny's medications. What a doofus.

Did anyone else notice during Thursday's episode that Maxie told everyone that Bailey Lou was with Felicia, and minutes later, we saw Felicia at the hospital, talking to Willow about working overtime? Why is a patient advocate scheduling overtime for the nursing staff?

For a smart man, Valentin sure messed up when he signed in at Pentonville as a visitor for Nikolas. All Anna has to do is ask Nikolas about that visit, and she will quickly discover that Valentin did not, in fact, visit his cousin.

Can we please stop with people having multiple successful careers at the same time? If Curtis is moving into wellness, sell the Savoy. Why does Kristina still manage Charlie's Pub if the Davis-Corinthos Center is open? The same goes for Carly, Nina, and Brook Lynn. When do these people have time to sleep, let alone manage two demanding full-time careers?

I thought Lois was a mega music agent with an A-list clientele. Did she retire from that?

Sonny's daughter is carrying the ADA's baby and, oh yeah, happens to be her sister! How can Anna be so dumb as to want Molly to be the lead prosecutor on this case?! Wouldn't Diane bring this up in court? Aside from the legal ramifications, where is Anna's compassion? Way to ratchet up the tension between Molly and Kristina. Stress is bad for an expectant mother, especially soapy expectant moms. What if something goes wrong? -- Catherine Rivera

They are making Ava act like an idiot. When she found out someone had switched Sonny's pills, she should have shouted it from the rooftop because she will get the blame. I think Valentin is setting her up for the fall. She did it to Morgan, so no one will think she's innocent. I also LOVE Ava and hope this isn't her downfall. -- Kasi Blake

Gregory's ALS storyline has a lot longer to go. Yes, he is declining, but he is still walking and talking. There are so many more steps he will take before the disease takes him if GH is going to do ALS justice. -- Terry

What are your thoughts about what's going on on General Hospital? Do you agree or disagree with anything that I've shared in this week's column? I love hearing from everyone and reading your thoughts, so drop me a comment in the Comments section below. You can also join us over on the message boards for even more conversation!

Take care and happy viewing,Liz Masters

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